By .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and Adam Hetrick
06 Oct 2012

Heidi Blickenstaff

The new independent short film "Sing Along," about a young boy who transforms his reality into a musical, begins production Oct. 6 in and around NYC. Tony winner Alice Ripley, Heidi Blickenstaff and Myles Erlick star.

The six-day shoot will take place in midtown Manhattan as well as at a high school in Summit, NJ. The film, which was partially funded through a Kickstarter.com campaign that offered fans tickets to the film's premiere, is conceived and directed by Mark Oxman.

"Sing Along," which centers on a young boy named Stephen, who escapes the difficulties of his own reality by turning his life into a musical number, features original songs by Ron Wasserman and Kathy Fisher.

Ripley (Next to Normal, Side Show) portrays the mother of Billy Elliot cast member Erlick, who stars as Stephen. Godspell cast member Uzo Aduba is also part of the film as a cafeteria lady who breaks into song. The cast also features Youtube sensation Sam Tsui, Blickentstaff ([title of show], The Little Mermaid), Remy Zaken (Spring Awakening) and a cameo by Patrick Page (Spider-Man, Cyrano).

"Sing Along," according to a release, "stars a 14-year-old boy living in New York City, with Broadway theaters as his backyard. Deeply introverted and mildly agoraphobic, his love of musicals translate to an overactive imagination, stemmed from his natural creativity. But it leads to trouble in school and more at home, where his naysayer mother crushes his artistic nature and his dream of being on Broadway himself."